Mg and % on a CBD label: how to compare products

On a CBD oil you usually see a percentage and a number of milligrams. The percentage answers “how concentrated is it”, the milligrams answer “how much CBD is in the whole bottle”. Capsules usually show only the milligrams in one capsule and the number of pieces in the box, and creams show the milligrams in the whole jar.

Many makers calculate the percentage by volume: 10 % means 100 mg of CBD in every millilitre. Others calculate it by weight, and then the milligrams come out slightly lower, because oil is lighter than water. That is why, when you compare, you go by the milligrams printed on the label, not only by the percentage.

They all start from two numbers on the label: the milligrams and the volume or the number of pieces. All you need is multiplication and division.

• CBD in the bottle: percentage × 10 × millilitres. 10 % in 30 ml = 10 × 10 × 30 = 3000 mg.
• CBD in one millilitre: milligrams in the bottle ÷ millilitres. 3000 mg ÷ 30 ml = 100 mg/ml.
• CBD in one drop: mg per ml ÷ 20, because a drop is about 0.05 ml. The figure is a guide; droppers differ.
• CBD in a box of capsules: mg per capsule × number of capsules. 30 × 10 mg = 300 mg.
• Cost per milligram: price ÷ milligrams in the pack — the only fair way to compare two different packs.

The table sets common packs side by side and brings them to the same units. Look at rows 3 and 4: the 30 ml oil at 10 % and the 10 ml oil at 30 % both hold 3000 mg, but the second is three times as concentrated.

Likewise, two oils with the same percentage have the same amount of CBD in a millilitre, however big the bottle: the larger one simply holds more in total.

Compare like with like: mg per ml with mg per ml, mg per pack with mg per pack. An oil's percentage and a capsule's milligrams cannot be compared directly. For example, a 10 ml oil at 10 % holds 1000 mg, and a box of 30 capsules of 25 mg each holds 750 mg: the oil contains more CBD in total, even though “25 mg” sounds like more than “10 %”.

The figures on the label are the maker's promise; the batch report shows what was measured. A small deviation, usually ±10 %, is normal for a natural extract (how to read the report). If the difference is large, the product does not match its label and you can rely on the legal guarantee of conformity.

In February 2026 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a provisional safe intake level for CBD as a novel food: 0.0275 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 2 mg a day for a 70 kg adult. The figure covers only food supplements with CBD at least 98 % pure, without nanoparticles. For people under 25, for pregnant or breastfeeding women and for those taking medicines, EFSA said safety cannot be established.

It is a scientific assessment within the authorisation procedure, not an intake recommendation and not an authorisation. In September 2026 EFSA gave its first positive opinion on an application, but the decision lies with the European Commission and the member states; as of October 2026 no CBD food or supplement is authorised in the EU. The figure does not apply to cosmetics.

EFSA's figure is not a dose. For use, follow the product label, and take questions about amounts to a doctor or pharmacist.

A shop has no way of knowing what suits you, which is why we publish no usage schedules and recommend no amounts. CBD products are sold only to people aged 18 and over and are kept out of children's reach.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using a CBD product if one of the situations below applies to you.

• You are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy.
• You take medicines: CBD is processed by liver enzymes that also process many medicines.
• You have a liver condition.
• You are under 25 — the age group for which EFSA could not establish safety.